Magnet motor experiment

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Problem Scenario

I want to know at what angle will a magnet motor achieve the highest velocity.

Broad Question

What positions for magnets works best to make a magnet motor spin.

Specific Question

What angles of magnets on a magnet motor make it have the highest velocity?

Hypothesis

I Hypothesize that magnets turned at a 45 degree will make the magnet motor achieve the highest velocity

Graph of Hypothesis


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Variables

Independent Variable:

Angle of magnets
magnet making wheel spin.

Dependent Variable:

Magnets on wheel
velocity of wheel

Variables That Need To Be Controlled:

Spinner wheel

Vocabulary List That Needs Explanation

N/a




General Plan

I will be conducting my experiment in my home. The people involved in my experiment are I and maybe a parent to order materials. My role is to set up the experiment and record the data. I will conclude 4 experiments with magnets at different angels each time to see what angel of magnets works the best for a magnet motor. With 4 experiments done I will have enough data to conduct a legitimate/reliable conclusion. As I conduct my experiment I will record my data on a computer as spreadsheet as well at making one in my science notebook. To document my experiment I will be using a computer having a preset data table made to easily fill in the information as well as a hand made graph in my science notebook.

Potential Problems And Solutions

None

Safety Or Environmental Concerns

None

Experimental Design

(add the correct headings from the experimental design page before beginning)

Resources and Budget Table


A hard surface, 1 foot long 2 feet wide (usually a heavy board that has little surface and static friction)
A turning circle 1 foot in diameter (hole in the middle)
Magnets
Tape
Skinny 8 inch long stick (with magnets attached)
2 metals bolt with a 1 cm diameter hole to hold turning circle in place on top of the hard surface that you can screw onto the cylinder
Red tape lines on hard surface and turning circle
A 1 cm diameter 2cm tall cylinder with ridges made to screw in bolts to place in the hole in the turning table to place the bolts on

Data Table

my_data_table_232134.JPG

Time Line






Background Research


1. Source: Rankin, Adam, and Christopher Burke. Magnetism.
Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Pub., 2003. Print.
  1. Information: Magnets are made of metal, and have north and south poles on them like the earth. The north end attracts the south end and the same ends repel each other.
Electricity applied to metal increases the amount of magnetism the metal has. The mass of a magnet of the same type increases it magnet force.
  • 2. Source: FunFacter. "Fun Facts About Magnets." FunFacter on HubPages. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Jan. 2012.
<http://funfacter.hubpages.com/hub/Fun-Facts-About-Magnets>.
  • 2. Information: -the earths magnetic field is like a bar magnet at the center
  • -usually made of iron or steel-iron, nickel, cobalt
  • -can be any shape
  • -a magnets pull is strongest at two points-north and south poles
  • -the first magnets were stones called Iodestones. The word lode means lead. The stone magnetized compass needles and helped bring sailors home.
  • -the earth is a giant magnet
  • -earth magnets are poweful and made from rare elements
  • -some vets use magnets to retrieve wire and metal from animals stomachs
  • -magnetic attracts only magnetic objects
  • -magnetic forces at at distance
  • -there are different types of magnets: permanent/hard, temporary/soft, electromagnets
  • -the compass was used hundreds of years ago by chinese sailors
  • -superconductors are the strongest magnets-made from coils of wire
  • -magnet is made up of crystals
3. Source: "How Magnets Work." How Magnets Work. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb. 2012.
<http://www.howmagnetswork.com/>.
3. Information: A magnet is any object that has a magnetic field. It attracts ferrous objects like pieces of iron, steel, nickel and cobalt. In the early days, the Greeks observed that the naturally occurring 'lodestone' attracted iron pieces. From that day onwards began the journey into the discovery of magnets.
These days magnets are made artificially in various shapes and sizes depending on their use. One of the most common magnets - the bar magnet - is a long, rectangular bar of uniform cross-section that attracts pieces of ferrous objects. The magnetic compass needle is also commonly used. The compass needle is a tiny magnet which is free to move horizontally on a pivot. One end of the compass needle points in the North direction and the other end points in the South direction.

Detailed Procedure


1.) Take your hard surface, make a hole 1 cm in diameter it to fit in the cylinder later. You can make a hole in your hard surface using a drill or a knife depending on the surface.
2.) Take your hard surface and mount it to a table or counter, preferably something that doesn’t move. You can mount it by tape or anything else to keep it sturdy but be sure it does not get in the way of the turning circle you’re going to put on top.
3.) Mark the hard surface with red tape just outside the diameter for the placement of the turning table you’re going to place on top.
4.) Make a hole exactly the same as the hole in the hard surface in the direct center! of the turning table.
5.) Place cylinder in middle of the hard surface in the hole you made, place a bolt on top. Place the turning table on top of the bolt and then a bolt on top of the turning table.
6.) Secure bolts to cylinder but not night enough to restrict the tables spinning
7.) Place red tape on the turning table next to the red tape made on the hard surface as if to look like a continued line.
8.) Take stick and tape the extra magnet on the end of stick.
9.) Tape down magnets at the same angel spaced equally around the turning tables edge.
10.) Hold stick at a 45 degree angel perfectly and spin it at the same speed to spin the magnet motor.
11.) Spin the stick for 30 seconds watching how many times the red tape on the spinning circle passes the red tape on the hard surface.
12.) Record how many times the red tape passes the other red tape on your data table on where you put in the info for that angel of the magnet.
13.) Repeat steps 9, 11, and 12 until you have recorded data for all your magnet angels. (4 times)

Diagram


Photo List








Results

All Raw Data


Graphs





Photos







Data Analysis


Conclusion






Discussion


Benefit to Community and/or Science



Abstract